


girls are fickle cats

by mudfire



Category: DARLING In The FRANXX (Anime)
Genre: Canon Lesbian Relationship, F/F, Yuri, cute handholding at the end?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-14
Updated: 2018-08-14
Packaged: 2019-06-27 10:41:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15683793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mudfire/pseuds/mudfire
Summary: ikuno, hard at her own work, decides to go help ichigo take a rest. she comes back after realizing that ichigo already has someone else, but doesn't realize that she herself has someone to care for her already too.





	girls are fickle cats

**Author's Note:**

> dabbling into ikuno x naomi now.. first fic for this shipping on archive? woah
> 
> this was more hastily written than my first, so mistakes may be present
> 
> also uuuh potential spoilers if you havent watched the entire season... the pairing is a spoiler enough

It had been several months since Zero Two’s statue had crumbled into a seedling, marking the end of the Klaxosaur and FranXX era. But even after the grand space battle, the remaining parasites and adults were doing fine on Earth now.

As fine as any teenage community could be.

Ichigo was once again overworking herself after a new harvesting problem arose, and their former squad leader was on the verge of collapse. Ikuno could see; she did notice these things about the razor-haired girl, after all.

She wanted Ichigo to stop and spend time on herself, maybe for an at least hour if Ikuno could help it. Just some time to for the blue-haired parasite to rest, recuperate, retain her bearings… the list of things Ichigo needed went on. 

Maybe Ikuno was overworking herself too, but she wasn’t running around from field to field, room to room to check on everything from crops to sick parasites. She was just at her desk, reading and taking notes until late night.

The grey-haired pistil was fiddling with her pencil now, thoughts in a mix about how to help Ichigo, a book about yellow blood cells beneath her hands. She wasn’t thinking properly at all until the door opened, and she turned in mild surprise at the visitor.

“I’ve brought you something warm to drink,” Naomi said, entering without caring a glance towards the materials scattered on the floor. The brunette parasite was in Ikuno’s room enough that she too had memorized the messy stacked piles of books and binders on the ground, and often came in to offer Ikuno small breaks like these.

Ikuno watched and twisted her chair along to absent-mindedly watch Naomi’s progress, relieved to have something else occupy her mind.

When the brown-eyed pistil set down the tray, she looked up, watching Ikuno back in turn. “What’s up? You’re usually so buried in your work that you don’t even notice when I come in most of the time.”

Ikuno flicked the pencil in her grasp, rolling it through her fingers. “Then aren’t you glad I noticed you this time, instead of working?”

“Well, then that means you want something.” She gave Ikuno a small smile, obviously satisfied at figuring out the gray-haired pistil, but not going to boast about it anymore.

Ikuno leaned her chin on her propped arm, green eyes considering her former teammate. When did Naomi start to act like she knew her so much? The brunette girl was unable to work well or for long with her single arm, so she often helped out with smaller tasks, among them helping out Ikuno in her research; but was she was perceptive enough that she could pick up on what Ikuno needed?

“I guess I do want something,” the grey-haired pistil replied vaguely, spinning back around in her chair in a sign of defeat. She could just  _ feel _ Naomi’s smile turning into a wider grin at winning over Ikuno.

“What do you need, then? I could get it for you,” she said as she expertly began to make the tea, as she always did when coming into Ikuno’s room.

Thoughts of Ichigo’s predicament flooded Ikuno’s mind again, and with a disgruntled noise at being interrupted in her research, she give in to explain, “I want Ichigo to take a break. She works too hard.”

Naomi came over to set over the tray closer to Ikuno. It came up with a sharp but small clink, and Ikuno wondered if it had ever made such a loud noise before; she hadn’t noticed it making such a sharp noise before.

“I think you should take a break too, Ikuno.” Her words were sincere, but the glasses girl brushed aside her concern with a wave of her hand.

“You know what I’m talking about. I’m sitting here and working, but she’s constantly running back and forth. She’s gonna collapse again. I never once fell from sitting at my desk too much,” Ikuno pointed out with a triumphant point of pencil toward Naomi.

The wavy-haired girl sighed, picking up the cup. “Drink.” As Ikuno took the cup from her, sipping at the hot liquid, Naomi continued. “Well, what do you want to do for her?”

“That’s what I’m trying to think about,” Ikuno said, falling back in her chair, thoughts of research firmly pushed aside. With Naomi, she wasn’t afraid of taking breaks; the brunette girl knew how much Ikuno’s work meant to her and the other parasites, and never dawdled too long.

They kept in silence for a bit, Ikuno taking occasional sips as Naomi fiddled with the food on the tray with her hand. She spoke when she finished with the snacks on the dish, holding back her skirt as she sat on Ikuno’s bed. “What does Ichigo like, then?”

“Like…” An image of Hiro flashed in her mind, and Ikuno squeezed her eyelids shut at the thought. Heaving a sigh and setting down the cup, she pulled the chair closer to the tray to look at the food that Naomi brought.

“I dunno. Nothing that I could give her.” Ikuno said those words nonchalantly, but she dug into her food with a little more force than necessary.

Naomi watched her work at her food, eyebrows creased in what Ikuno thought was answers to what Ichigo liked. Her next question certainly proved it.

“What did Ichigo ask from Papa every year, as a present?”

Ikuno brightened, utensil pointing up at the idea. “Cats!”

“Cats?”

“She loves cats. She would always ask Papa for some kind of plush animal. Usually a cat whenever she worn out her old one.”

Naomi shook her head, chuckling softly. “Seriously, cats?”

“I know, she loves to hug them and pat their heads. It’s a strange thing for her, huh? Especially because she seems like such a tough squad leader.”

“She certainly gives off that vibe a lot. But how are you going to get a cat?”

Ikuno shook her head, resuming her eating. “There are no cats here, I know that. Can I get a hand towel or a sheet?”

“Sure, I can get it right now--”

“Sit back down, I don’t need it right away,” Ikuno asserted, waving her hand downwards. When the brunette pistil replaced herself, Ikuno offered her a bite from the plate, handing her a spoonful. “Have some. You always bring too much for me to eat. I don’t need a lot since I’m not moving around so much.”

Naomi accepted the spoon from the glasses girl, absently using her utensils for a few spoonfuls before setting them down quickly. She stood just as quickly, hand gripping the edge of her dress as she muttered, “I’ll get a towel for you now.” With that, she marched off, Ikuno sipping at her tea with a gaze over her shoulder.

The glasses-wearing girl thought Naomi acted a bit temperamental around her, with her teasing, then storming away without another word at the end of their talk. Ikuno returned to her desk, mind already being absorbed by the text again as the problem of Ichigo was solved.

…

Back in Milliestein, when other pistils had found Ichigo rolling in the dirt with a cat in between in arms, they all thought it was funny how such a small animal could make their squad leader a squealing mess.

And when Ikuno made cat ears with a towel on her head a few days later, she received coos and a headpat from the blue-haired parasite. She had envied those cats, receiving Ichigo’s childish attention, but with those cat ears Ikuno felt that she bested those animals anytime.

After a little self-convincing-- making cat ears to put on her head again seemed like such a childish thing to do-- Ikuno was about to step into their squad leader’s room, hand raised to knock. She heard voices inside though, and paused, leaning in to eavesdrop.

It was Goro and Ichigo, talking and laughing. Ikuno could only make out snatches of their conversation, but she could obviously make out the elation in the blue-haired girl’s voice.

_ That’s right.  _ Goro had returned from his trip earlier in the day. It was no surprise it was spending his first few days back with Ichigo.

The grey-haired pistil’s hand hovered in the air, suspended from wanting to interrupt their time together and just retreating away. It was only after another laugh from Ichigo that Ikuno choose to withdraw, holding the cat ears headband between her hands.

 

On her bed in her room again, Ikuno fingered the soft towel between her hands, tempted to just squeeze away the shape of the ears. She sighed.

She thought she was over it, having seen how Ichigo reacted to Hiro leaving, but… knowing she was never even second place to the blue-haired pistil still stung. 

The green-eyed girl set the towel on the desk next to her bed, laying down to clear her head. Even when she heard the door slide open she didn’t look up, closing her eyes at the disturbance and just wishing she could be alone to ponder. 

“Ikuno?” Naomi’s soft voice summoned the gray-haired pistil, blinking her eyes open as she did.

Ikuno propped herself up on her elbows, looking at Naomi with tired eyes. The brunette girl had approached, another tray of food set on the desk. She walked over, seeing the cat ears on the desk and picking it up with a careful hand. “This was your idea?” She asked.

“Laugh at me, it’s stupid.” Ikuno ruefully turned her head in defeat, ready for her laughter. Instead, she felt the bed creak as Naomi sat next to her. Ikuno returned her gaze on the brunette girl, peering at her face in the dim light to gauge her reaction. There was no trace of jest, but instead a determined face.

“Put these on.”

“What?”

“You heard me.” Naomi pushed the cat ears toward Ikuno, laying them softly against her chest, her eyebrows slightly creased on her determined face.

“Seriously? You want to make fun of me in these? Just seeing them isn’t enough for you?” Ikuno laughed, trying to brush them away.

Her joking voice quickly trailed off as she heard Naomi utter, “You didn’t actually show Ichigo these, did you?”

Ikuno frowned, sitting up straight at the accusation. “How do you know that?”

“I saw you outside her door. Why didn’t you go in?”

Ikuno continued to frown, then gave in to Naomi’s staring, eyes rolling as she exhaled in defeat. “She was with Goro.”

“So? They wouldn’t have mind.”

“You really would want me to interrupt them?”

“It sounds as if you don’t want to go in with Goro there. What’s wrong with him?”

“Look, there’s nothing wrong with him. He’s perfectly fine. He’s changed a lot, and I haven’t at all!” In the middle of their rising argument, Ikuno had pushed the cat ears back, crushing their soft shape between their hands. The graying parasite angrily stared down Naomi as the brunette parasite looked back in confusion, eyes big at Ikuno’s slip-up.

They sat like that in silence for a moment more, staring at each, Ikuno seething. She was about to say more, to drive home that she didn’t want Naomi in her business, but the door slid open, interrupting the girls.

The two of them parted from their locked gazes, the towel resuming its usual floppy shape between their hands.

Ichigo and Goro were at the door. “Is everything okay? We heard yelling when we were passing.” The blue-haired pistil spoke.

Ikuno could see Naomi was about to say something, but the gray-haired girl stood, disconnecting their hands on the towel as she stood to speak. “We were just discussing my research; I needed to talk my formula aloud to her to see if it made sense. Guess I got too excited.”

The pair at the door grinned, before Goro said, “You two make a good team huh? We’ll leave you to your research, Ikuno. And I’ll give you the stuff you asked for tomorrow too! I’ll come back in the morning.”

“Thank you, Goro.” Ikuno offered the two of them a thin smile as the door slid back in place, face dropping its grin as she stared at the door, unwilling to turn back to Naomi.

The pistils were enveloped in silence again, Ikuno still in her place at the door from where she greeted Ichigo and Goro.

She could tell Naomi wanted to say something, from her occasional inhales and the rustling of her pushing back her hair. Ikuno said nothing, and had nothing to say. Her anger had deflated after the pair’s appearance, and was replaced with a weariness instead.

The glasses girl turned to her desk, starting to make the tea herself. The cup was lukewarm now, but Ikuno continued to work at it, ripping at the packet too forcefully and causing Naomi to flinch. She sat down at her work chair, falling into its plush back, obvious tiredness showing on her face.

Ikuno was glancing at some open books on her desk, foot tapping the floor, the only sound filling the room, ignoring Naomi. She reached a hand out to grab her drink, but felt fingers stopping her grasp. Looking up from her books, she gave a flat stare at Naomi, not wanting to hear from her so soon.

“You didn’t stir it,” was all the brunette girl said, as she replaced Ikuno’s hand and took a wooden stirrer.

Ikuno sat back, mind grumbling. Naomi didn’t have to tend to her.  _ Why does she care for me so much? _

At that thought, Ikuno’s previous anger cleared a bit, looking back at their argument. The whole time, Naomi was only asking about her; even when they had originally thought of the idea, Naomi had asked whether the gray-haired pistil was doing fine. And Ikuno had brushed aside all her offers, thinking of Ichigo instead each time.

“Look,” Ikuno began, catching Naomi’s attention. She was timid now, with her avoiding the green-eyed girl’s gaze and her slow, unpurposeful stirring. “I’m sorry I yelled. I’m not used to people knowing my personal affairs.”

Naomi was quiet, and Ikuno thought she was thinking up her own apology in response. Sighing and impatient, Ikuno reached over to the towel, seeing Naomi pause in her work as she watched where the glasses girl’s hand went.

Deft hands working on the towel again, Ikuno worked in silence, stringing Naomi along with it. She could tell the brunette girl was unsure of what to do, after seeing Ikuno blow up; the graying girl knew Naomi was usual very quick to argue, especially with the boys; it was with the girls, and especially Ikuno, that she seemed to be more halting.

Naomi had finished with her meager stirring long before Ikuno had complete the cat ears, and was standing at attention before Ikuno’s bed, hand gripping the edge of her skirt, a display of nervousness. Ikuno enjoyed seeing that she was in control of their argument, but wished that Naomi would lay off a little bit more.

Finally finished with remaking the cat ears, Ikuno held them in her hands, palms sweating a bit at what she was about to do. She sat down with a defiant thump on her bed, showing that she was still against at what she was about to down, but wrapped the towel around her head nonetheless.

Finishing the look with a tieing of the knot, Ikuno huffed. “There. Is that good enough for you?” Her nose was turned slightly upwards, arms crossed as she radiated an air of annoyance, hoping Naomi wouldn’t make fun of her too much.

Instead, with a start, Ikuno returned her to look at Naomi when she felt a soft hand on her head, the palm firm against her head as she felt the fingers eventually start to comb through her stray hairs and sidelocks. “Nao-?”

“Is this what Ichigo would do to a cat? Pet its head?” She asked. Her voice seemed heavy, as if swallowing back something.

Ikuno didn’t know what to say, feeling the soft strokes of her hand on her head; her sudden intimacy instead of ridiculing left the glasses-wearing girl speechless.

“I think you’ve changed a lot,” Naomi continued quietly, eyes downcast as she stood before Ikuno on her bed. “Maybe that’s because I’ve been away for a long time, but you aren’t as quiet as you used to be. You seem… lighter, more open now. You’re still hung up on books,” at this she chuckled feebly, “but you work so much harder now. With a purpose. Back when we trained to pilot FranXX, you always were so disinterested.

“It’s not a lot, since I haven’t been back for a long time and we were never that close to begin with, but… I’m sorry if I came off as pushy. I was only--”

“You were only trying to take care of me, I know,” Ikuno finished for her, hand reaching to grasp Naomi’s traveling hand. Ikuno brought her hand down to her side, stopping her movement atop her hand but instead intertwining their fingers as a symbol of forgiveness. She gave the brunette girl a thin-lipped but sincere smile, eyes soft at her apology. Then her face contorted back to its usual tired look, brows ceasing as she took off her glasses with her free hand and setting them aside. “I’m not that stupid to not realize all this work you’ve been doing for me, but I’m not used to other people acting like they know me so much.” A hand went to the bridge of her nose, pinching it as she tried to sort out her thoughts.

“That’s why I lashed out at you, I guess.”

“But you’re right. I don’t know you. I shouldn’t have acted all high and mighty, thinking that I knew everything about you just because I’ve been with you most of the time after being released.” Naomi crouched, resting their joined hands on Ikuno’s knee, her other empty sleeve brushing against the floor.

Ikuno chuckled dryly. “That’s a lot of you’s,” she said.

A flush crept up the brunette’s cheeks at Ikuno’s mention, but she went on to bravely say, “But that’s because I care for you, right?”

“That’s right.”

Ikuno raised a hand to loosen the knot on the cat ears, but Naomi protested. “Wait! I think they look cute on you.”

The glasses girl made a disgusted face. “I’m not keeping these stupid things on me anymore,” she growled before throwing them aside on the table. Naomi sighed, but a smile played on her lips.

The brunette girl gazed back up at Ikuno, and seeing that she was wanted to add something more, the greying parasite squeezed their hands together, urging her to talk. 

“It’s just that… If you want to change, I can help you change.”

Her offer made Ikuno think quickly of Ichigo, but she pushed the blue-haired girl out of her mind, instead blinking to see Naomi in front of her again.

“Well, that’s only if you don’t mind taking care of me some more. You know I won’t let it be an easy job,” Ikuno teased, releasing her grip on Naomi’s hand to reach out and brush aside the bangs on the other girls face.

Naomi grinned as Ikuno’s hand left her face. “I’ve been doing it this whole time. I don’t mind. Throw it all at me, you fickle cat.”

“Ha! I knew you were gonna make fun of me for that at least once today.” Amid their playful bantering, Ikuno reached forward with both her hands, cupping Naomi’s cheeks. She felt the girl’s lips form into a smile under her palms, and the content expression on her face caused Ikuno to crack her own smile too.

The graying pistil leaned forward, pressing their foreheads together. She closed her eyes, just feeling Naomi’s face in her cupped hands. “Thank you.”

She felt Naomi shift under her grasp, her arm draping itself over Ikuno’s legs as she leaned in her embrace. “Of course.”

 

When it was time for sleep, deep in the night, Naomi was about to leave, taking the tray with her. Before she left the table where Ikuno worked, she glanced down the towel, taking in its crumpled form.

“You know, can you wear that again, some other time?”

Ikuno set her pencil down, face deadpan. “Seriously? So you can make more fun of me?”

Naomi laughed. “I barely made fun of you. I wasn’t lying when I said you looked cute in them.”

The brunette left, but Ikuno was still thinking of her instead of her research, thinking about the weight of Naomi’s last sentence.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> critiques welcomed!! tysm for reading!!


End file.
